Sam Baker Scouting Report

Sam Baker, OL, USC

Baker has amazing feet for a player well over 300 pounds. Baker has long arms and big hands and does a great job keeping defenders at arms length. His pass blocking skills are the near best in the country at the tackle position. He is a better pass blocker than a run blocker, because he lacks a bit of the mean streak that coaches love in an offensive lineman. Baker is a four year starter at one of the best college football programs in the nation at USC. He would be a great fit for a team who runs the zone scheme using his superb footwork and ability to sustain blocks. He may not be attractive to every NFL team as he lacks the bulk at 305 pounds that many of them like in a starting tackle, but Baker is a very smart player with great technique. Baker impressed scouts in practice for the Senior Bowl. He chose not to do anything but the bench press, where he did 28 reps at 225. Baker has not improved his draft stock in the same way some of the other tackle prospects have this off-season. Baker did not do anything at USC's pro day on April 2nd to help his stock. By all accounts he looked out of shape, did not run well and did not show great footwork in position drills. Baker has likely worked his way out of the first round this offseason. Baker will likely make a team picking early in the second round very happy if he plays himself back into shape.